I bought my Gold Tone PBS-D model from Musicians Friend about 8 months ago and I really love it. I think it sounds great- much better than other budget squareneck brands that I've tried. It is well-constructed and played great right out of the box. This is a Beard-licensed Chinese-made model that is cheaper than the American-made Paul Beard resonators, and for that difference, there may be a tiny sacrifice in the fit and finish details. My resonator guitar as received does have a very minor blemish in the upper fretboard, but it has absolutely no effect on the playability, especially since the fretboard is just for show on a squareneck anyway. I have compared it against higher-end USA Paul Beard models and there is not much difference in tone or sound quality (really, none to my ear, but it's possible that the USA ones are a little better). Also, Musicians Friend has been a great vendor to deal with and they have had great prices, quick and well-packed delivery, and personalized and fair attention to questions, with a satisfaction guarantee. I am very pleased with my purchase and have no hesitation in recommending this model, or in recommending Musicians Friend as the vendor. I have not tried the more basic, less fancy model. I liked the features and the look and feel of this "deluxe" model and was willing to pay extra for the fancier inlays, and the fancier woods, though I would not be surprised if the sound was just as good on the cheaper model.

Very nice sounding guitar. Loud and clean. Every note rings out with very good tone. Very easy to play, you bearley have to touch the strings and it rings out. It is beautiful with very nice finish and woods.

The guitar comes pretty well setup but be sure the screw in the center of the bridge is set properly, not loose or overly tightened. It comes with weak 12 gauge strings on it so order 16s if you're going to play bottleneck or lap style. The ease of playing and the overall tone will be much improved. Once properly strung the guitar sounds great for blues and country applications. Be patient with the guitar and yourself and it'll reward you with some great sounds at a descent price.

This is a good dobro except for the tuning keys and I find them to crack or break while tuning it. I'm talking about the button it's self and to make matters worse is no one is willing to help you get another one. This is a heads up if you are planing to buy one.